Broad meadows

If you have read any of my previous entries, you know that my emphasis is understanding the prophetic and spiritual implications of the symbolism used in Scripture. And by following those symbols horizontally through the Bible that you gain a larger perspective on what we are to understand from those symbols. My current study is following oil through the Bible and that this study was inspired by the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

In the NIV Bible, there are over two hundred mentions of oil in the Bible and I’m still fairly early in that study, but something has jumped out already that I think is noteworthy. I read a few commentaries prior to this writing and most just made comments about being prepared for the Lord’s coming. Some mentioned the lamps and the light they were supposed to give, but that was as far as they got. It’s clear that the Lord is implying that we should be ready, but how? I think the answer lies just a step further.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says,“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So the light are the good deeds that are meant to glorify the Father. This agrees with the interpretation that I have for the oil. One of the ways I look at symbols is if there common or biblical definition or a characteristic. Sometimes you have to connect more than a couple of dots to be able to get there. For instance, where does oil come from? The olive. The olive is the fruit of the olive tree. So if we inject the fruit of the Spirit here, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness faithfulness and self control, then what comes from this fruit, the oil, would be good deeds done to glorify God. So who are those that sell oil?

In the law, oil was part of the bread offering in the temple service. And if the bread is the body and the body is the church (you can look them up if you like) then the place to buy this “oil” is in the church. Why? Because that’s where good deeds are done for the glory of God.

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and not attending church, find a a Biblical church and get yourself some oil and burn brightly for the glory of God. If you’re not sure what makes for a biblical church, attend anyway and begin reading your Bible. You don’t know what hour our master comes.